The short storefront row at 13868 Old Columbia Pike holds both halves of a prom outfit. Chloe Van PJ Btq — the name it uses on its own site is ChloeVanPJ — is one unit. Connaisseur Paris, a men’s clothier selling slim-fit and custom suits, tuxedos and Italian shoes, is at 13874, immediately next door. Connaisseur’s own Facebook page sends its customers over for the women’s side. For a couple shopping together in this corner of eastern Montgomery County, Maryland, that is one stop and one parking lot instead of two trips.
The other thing worth knowing about this address is what is up the road. Paint Branch High School sits at 14121 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville — the same street, about a third of a mile north, close enough that a student with a car is there in two minutes.
Three proms, one shop
Paint Branch, Springbrook and James Hubert Blake make up the Northeast Consortium, the group of high schools that students in this part of the county choose among rather than being zoned to one. All three are within a short drive of Old Columbia Pike, which means the same rack serves three different prom nights — and, given that Springbrook lists Paint Branch and Blake as its rivals, three sets of students who would rather not turn up in the same gown.
- Paint Branch — 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville; about 2,135 students
- Springbrook — 201 Valley Brook Drive, down Route 29 toward White Oak; about 1,838 students
- Blake — off Norwood Road, roughly four miles northwest; about 1,784 students
What is confirmed about the inventory, and what is not
Jovani and Terani Couture both list this store on their official retailer locators. Those are the two labels to ask for by name; both build their prom and evening lines around long fitted gowns, beading and jersey, and both restrict which shops can sell them.
Past that, the picture is thin. The shop’s own online store leans in a different direction from prom: women’s two-piece slim-fit suits in the $299–$350 range, plus designer bags, shoes and sunglasses at higher prices. Its about page describes the business as a designer and retailer of women’s fashion, with an emphasis on suiting. Nothing published tells you how many gowns are on the floor, whether alterations are done in house, or whether a prom appointment is expected. Call (240) 749-1561 and ask for the specific Jovani or Terani styles you have in mind before making the drive.
Getting there
Old Columbia Pike is the older local road running beside US 29, and this block is just off the Route 29 interchange at Briggs Chaney Road. There is a 7-Eleven at 13880, a few doors down. Briggs Chaney MarketPlace — the Safeway- and Ross-anchored center at 29 and Briggs Chaney, about 197,000 square feet — is on the same stretch, so shoes and a return trip for accessories are in walking distance of the same lot. The Beltway is roughly six miles south and I-95 about five miles east.
One practical warning: the store’s own contact page lists hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and shows Saturday and Sunday as closed. That is the opposite of how most prom shopping happens, and it may simply be an out-of-date page, but confirm by phone before a weekend drive. Connaisseur Paris next door posts 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, so the two storefronts may not keep the same schedule.